Accelerator control



- P 1937- P. A. HEINRICH 2,076,460

ACCELERATOR CONTROL Filed Sept. 30, 1935 2 SheetsSh eet 1 ezT/zazb/z (30 INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEYS I a 9 g. 9

Filed Sept. 30. 1955 60 k a a 4&5; 8

"III: IIIIIIIE. 7L 4 65 46 P. A, HEINRICH 2,076,460

ACCELERATOR CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 B w m iz HIS ATTORNEYS proved accelerator Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,076,460 ACCELERATOR CONTROL Paul A. Heinrich, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 30, 1935, Serial No.

8 Claims.

My invention relates to the operation of internal combustion engines, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an imcontrol.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an engine with my invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 5-0 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-1 of Fig. 4.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, I make use of an internal combustion engine I 0 including a carburetor I2 and an accelerator rod I I. The engine includes conventional clutch and brake pedals I6 and I8, respectively, as Well as a foot pedal 20 .for operating the accelerator rod I 6.

My invention comprises rectangular in cross section having its upper end manifold, with one end of the strap bolted to the tubular member 22 at 28, and the opposite parallel relation with the horizontal reach 32, each of which is provided with an opening for the reception of a bolt 3d for clamping the bracket onto the intake manifold.

To the lower end of the tubular member 22 I fasten a bracket 36 by means of a bolt 30. The opposite end of the bracket is fastened to the engine proper by means of a bolt 40.

Within the tubular member 22 I position a slidable weight 02, the lower end of which is provided with a U-shaped bracket 00, between the legs 46 of which I mount a pinion 38. The gear is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 50 carried by the legs 46 and the gear is normally ar-= ranged in mesh with a rack 52 fastened to the accelerator rod I 4 by means of clamps 50 firmly clamped thereto by means of bolts 50.

The bight 58 of the bracket $4 is fastened to the lower end of the weight 42 by means of screws 60 passing through openings in the bight and. having threaded relation with the weight. The pinion 48 may be rotated in a clockwise direction, when viewing Fig. 4, when the pedal 20 is pressed inwardly, but the pinion is restrained from counterclockwise-rotation by a pawl 62 fixedly connected with a shaft 64 rotatably mounted within openings in the legs 46.

I provide a spring 66 for yielding holding the pawl 62 in engagement with the pinion 48. Within the upper end of the tubular member 22 I rivet a plate 68 and between the plate and the upper end of the weight 42 I position a compres- This spring tends to urge the direction of the accelerator rod I4 forholding the pinion 48 in mesh with the rack 52. The pinion 48 may be moved out of mesh with the rack 52 by lifting the weght 42 against the tension of the spring 10. To this end I provide an eye I2 having a threaded shank I4 threaded into a bore 16 in the weight 42. To the eye I2 I connect three cables 18, 80, and 82, which cables pass over a grooved wheel 84 rotatably mounted on a shaft 86 having its ends passing through openings in the tubular member 22 and riveted at 88 for connecting purposes.

The cable I0 is branched at 90 and 92, and the branches pass over groved wheels 94 and 96, respectively, which branches are respectively connected with the board by screws of the pedals I6 engagement with the rack 52.

The cable passes around a grooved wheel I06 carried by a bracket I08 fastened to the floor board part I02 and around a second grooved wheel H0 fastened to the part I02 in the same way. From the wheel N0 the cable leads to a lever H2 pivotally mounted at II4 to a bracket H6 carried by the part I02. This lever extends through a slot H8 in the part I02, and its upper end is arranged in operative relation with the pedal 20, whereby the pinion 48'may be lifted out of engagement with the rack 52 by a slight lateral shifting of the foot of the operator when the foot is positioned on the pedal 20.

In Fig. 1, I illustrate the cable 02 connected with a rod I20 slidably mountedwithin a tubular member I22 and provided with a knob I24 to facilitate manual retraction. The rod I20 may be pulled outwardly for disengaging the pinion 48. When retracted, the rod 20 remains in its shifted position until pressed inwardly, whereby the pinion 48 may be permanently disenas being gaged. The rod 28 is of the type employed in many radiator shutter controls for automobiles.

My invention provides means whereby the accelerator rod is latched in various adjusted positions, but the construction operates to release the accelerator rod l4 upon a slight movement of either of the pedals l8, II, or H2. The arrangement eliminates the necessity for any additional attention on the part of the driver for rendering the pinion 48 inoperative. with the pinion 48 arranged in mesh with the rack 52, I eliminate the necessity for constant pressure upon the pedal 20, thus greatly relieving the driver. Referring to Fig. 4, the tubular member 22 is provided with openings I28 through which the accelerator rod l4 and the rack 52 extend.

In operation, the spring 18 holds the pinion 48 in mesh with the rack 52 regardless of the road conditions over which the car is travelling. The clamps 54 permit the rack 52 to be adjusted longitudinallyof the accelerator rod. The car speed in the latched condition of the accelerator rod will depend upon which tooth oi the pinion 48 the pawl 62 is engaged with for holding purposes. Rotation of the pinion 48 sufllciently far to bring the pawl into engagement with the next tooth will, of course, vary the speed of the car somewhat. In making the rack 52 adjustable on the accelerator red, I provide an adjustment whereby the accelerator rod l4 may be latched in a predetermined position representing the exact speed desired.

In Fig. 1 a return spring I28 is connected with the accelerator rod l4 and the bracket I22 for operating the accelerator rod in the conventional manner. Fig. 2 illustrates return springs B0 and 132 connected with the clutch and'brake pedals l8 and 18, respectively. These springs may be anchored to the vehicle in any suitable manner as suggested at I34 in Fig. 1.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. The combination of an accelerator rod having a rack, a clutch pedal, a brake pedal, a pedal for operating the accelerator rod, 9. weight-operated pinion including a pawl co-operating with said rack for latching the accelerator rod in various shifted positions, means connecting said weight-operated pinion and said brake and clutch pedals for moving the pinion out of holding relation with the rack for releasing the accelerator rod upon shifting of either of the pedals, and foot-operated means connected with the weightoperated pinion for releasing the accelerator rod independently of any shifting movement of the clutch or brake pedals.

2. The combination of an accelerator rod having a rack, a clutch pedal, a brake pedal, a pedal for operating the accelerator rod, a weight-operated pinion including means for latching the pinion co-operating with said rack for latching the accelerator rod in various shifted positions, means connecting said weight-operated pinion andsaid brake and clutch pedals for moving the pinion out of holding relation with the rack for releasing the accelerator rod upon shitting of either or the pedals, root-operated means connected with the weight-operated pinion for releasing the accelerator rod independently of any shitting movement of the clutch or brake pedals, and manually controlled means for releasing the accelerator rod independently of said pedals or foot-operated means.

3. In an automotive vehicle, the combination of an accelerator rod having a rack, a weight,

guide means for the weight, a pinion carried by said weight and normally arranged in mesh with said rack, a pawl for limiting rotary movement of the pinion in one direction, and means connected with said weight and accessible by the driver of the vehicle for shifting the weight, to move the pinion out of holding relation with said rack.

4. In an automotive vehicle, the combination of an accelerator rod having a rack, a weight, guide means for the weight, a pinion carried by said weight and normally arranged in mesh with said rack, a pawl for limiting rotary movement of the pinion in one direction, and a plurality of means connected with said weight and accessible by the driver of the vehicle for shifting the weight, to move the pinion out of holding relation with said rack.

5. In an automotive vehicle, the combination of an accelerator rod having a rack, a weight, guide means for the weight, a pinion carried by said weight and normally arranged in mesh with said rack, a pawl for limiting rotary movement of the pinion in one direction, means connected with said weight and accessible by the driver of the vehicle for shifting the weight, to move the pinion out of holding relation with said rack, and a spring co-operating with said weight and said guide means for pressing the pinion against said rack.

6. In an automotive vehicle, the combination of an accelerator rod having a rack, a weight, guide means for the weight, a pinion carried by said weight and normally arranged in mesh with said rack, a pawl for limiting rotary movement of the pinion in one direction, a plurality of means connected with said weight and accessible by the driver or the vehicle for shifting the weight, to move the pinion out or holding relation with said rack, and a spring co-operatlng with said weight and said guide means for pressing the pinion against said rack.

7. In an automotive vehicle, the combination of an accelerator rod having a rack, latch means including a pinion normally arranged in mesh with said rack, means for adjusting the rack longitudinally of the accelerator rod, and manually operable means for shifting the pinion into and out of engagement with the rack.

8. In an automotive vehicle, the combination of an accelerator rod having a rack, a pinion and means for moving the pinion into mesh with said rack, a pawl for limiting the rotary movement of the pinion in one direction, and means connected with said first-named means and accessible by the driver of the vehicle for moving the pinion out of holding relation with said rack.

PAUL A. HEINRICH. 

